Discussion: Global Warming and Other Environmental Issues

[Darthphere]

Bill Clinton's Global Initiative program is also doing some amazing things, many of which really should be done by the government to be honest.

jag

Good god, you opened up the floodgates, you know that right?

 

[Mr Sparkle]

Bill Clinton's Global Initiative program is also doing some amazing things, many of which really should be done by the government to be honest.

jag

oh sweet jesus Jag, you've murdered us all!!!!!

 

[jaguarr]

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

jag

 

[Avalanche]

The USA does not own the world,Europe is actually doing more than the USA in terms of helping the enviroment now at the moment.

Europe is actually pretty good in terms of helping to avoid global warning. I'm studying environmental law as one of my modules this semester, and there are a hell of a lot of directives in place, and more to come. Some pretty stringent demands on carbon emissions.

Europe are trying.

The US refuse to, though the California thing was at least a nice gesture. Then we have China, who are effectively 50 years behind the rest of the world in terms of awareness of these types of problems. They'll no doubt become a major polluter before they realise the importance of the environment.

 

[hippie_hunter]

No joke,Bush could have done things to help prevent things,inform the public or help to get the word out.But he refuses to belive,so he is guilty.

Wow, for once I have to agree with you, but he is not the sole cause of it. The actions of people all over the world have caused it. The United States is just a scapegoat.

The USA does not own the world,

You just had to put in your ignorant "USA sucks" comments didn't you

Europe is actually doing more than the USA in terms of helping the enviroment now at the moment.

True, thats because they signed up for the Kyoto Protocol and have Greens in charge of their enviromental ministries. The United States refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol because it specifically targets the United States, with the way the United States uses resources, the pace is far to fast for us to adopt it, and it specfiically ignores China and India.

If the Kyoto Protocol were amended for a slower pace, added China and India to do something, did not let nations such as Russia and others profit off of selling "carbon credits," it would be much more acceptable to the United States. Because of these things, it is useless.

 

[redmarvel]

The American Government doesn't need to sign the Koyoto Accord, they could (if they chose) come up with a policy of their own... then hopefully follow that policy. Unfortunatly, even when they do come up with their own policies they keep backpeddalling and pushing off the dates to lower emissions, develop cost effective hybrid vehicles, etc. Unfortunatly this is a bit much to expect from a Government that likes to rewrite any contract they sign. (See the Lumber trade agreement for which they now OWE money to Canada - according to the UN - and which they refuse to pay)

 

[X-Punisher]

Bill Clinton's Global Initiative program is also doing some amazing things, many of which really should be done by the government to be honest.

jag

Well the government has a lot more IMPORTANT things to worry about like:
-Gays getting married
-Flag burnings
-Blamming Bill Clinton for everything that has gone wrong


DAMMIT MAN WHEN WILL YOU LEARN!!!t:

 

[hippie_hunter]

The American Government doesn't need to sign the Koyoto Accord, they could (if they chose) come up with a policy of their own... then hopefully follow that policy. Unfortunatly, even when they do come up with their own policies they keep backpeddalling and pushing off the dates to lower emissions, develop cost effective hybrid vehicles, etc. Unfortunatly this is a bit much to expect from a Government that likes to rewrite any contract they sign. (See the Lumber trade agreement for which they now OWE money to Canada - according to the UN - and which they refuse to pay)

The United States should impliment the ideals of the Kyoto Protocol but at a slower more reasonable pace. Also the world should try and reform the Protocol to fix its very obvious flaws.

 

[jaguarr]

Well the government has a lot more IMPORTANT things to worry about like:
-Gays getting married
-Flag burnings
-Blamming Bill Clinton for everything that has gone wrong


DAMMIT MAN WHEN WILL YOU LEARN!!!t:

I know. Me and my high expectations.

jag

 

[Avalanche]

If the Kyoto Protocol were amended for a slower pace, added China and India to do something, did not let nations such as Russia and others profit off of selling "carbon credits," it would be much more acceptable to the United States. Because of these things, it is useless.

Carbon credits work well. The punish those who go over quota, and reward those who go under.

 

[Chauncey]

Carbon credits work well. The punish those who go over quota, and reward those who go under.

I kind of agree, but it seems as though we should just be able to say "oh, you didn't pollute up to quota this year, well good." and leave it at that instead of allowing others to make up for it with more pollution.

 

[TrailerCues]

The world — especially the Western United States, the Mediterranean region and Brazil — will likely suffer more extended droughts, heavy rainfalls and longer heat waves over the next century because of global warming, a new study forecasts.

But the prediction of a future of nasty extreme weather also includes fewer freezes and a longer growing season.
In a preview of a major international multiyear report on climate change that comes out next year, a study out of the National Center for Atmospheric Research details what nine of the world's top computer models predict for the lurching of climate at its most extreme.

"It's going to be a wild ride, especially for specific regions," said study lead author Claudia Tebaldi, a scientist at the federally funded academic research center.

Tebaldi pointed to the Western U.S., Mediterranean nations and Brazil as "hot spots" that will get extremes at their worst, according to the computer models.

And some places, such as the Pacific Northwest, are predicted to get a strange double whammy of longer dry spells punctuated by heavier rainfall.

As the world warms, there will be more rain likely in the tropical Pacific

Ocean, and that will change the air flow for certain areas, much like El Nino weather oscillations now do, said study co-author Gerald Meehl, a top computer modeler at the research center.

Those changes will affect the U.S. West, Australia and Brazil, even though it's on South America's eastern coast.

For the Mediterranean, the issue has more to do with rainfall in the tropical Atlantic Ocean changing air currents, he said.

"Extreme events are the kinds of things that have the biggest impacts, not only on humans, but on mammals and ecosystems," Meehl said. The study, to be published in the December issue of the peer-reviewed journal Climatic Change, "gives us stronger and more compelling evidence that these changes in extremes are more likely."

The researchers took 10 international agreed-upon indices that measure climate extremes — five that deal with temperature and five with precipitation — and ran computer models for the world through the year 2099.

What Tebaldi called the scariest results had to do with heat waves and warm nights.

Everything about heat waves — their intensity, length and occurrence — worsens.

"The changes are very significant there," Tebaldi said. "It's enough to say we're in for a bad future."

The measurement of warm nights saw the biggest forecast changes. Every part of the globe is predicted to experience a tremendous increase in the number of nights during which the low temperature is extremely high.

Those warm night temperatures that should happen only once every decade will likely occur at least every other year by the time we reach 2099, if not more frequently, Tebaldi said.

Warm nights are crucial because Chicago's 1995 heat wave demonstrated that after three straight hot nights, people start dying, Meehl said.

However, heat wave deaths are decreasing in the United States because society has learned to adapt better, using air conditioning, noted University of Alabama at Huntsville atmospheric sciences professor John Christy.

He is one of a minority of climate scientists who downplay the seriousness of global warming.

Similarly, the days when the temperature drops below freezing will plummet worldwide.

That's not necessarily a good thing, because fewer frost days will likely bring dramatic change in wildlife, especially bug infestation, Tebaldi said.

"It's a disruption of the equilibrium that's been going for many centuries," Tebaldi said. But he noted that a lengthier growing season in general is good.

"This notion of the greening of the planet ... generally is a positive benefit," Christy said.

Christy, who did not participate in the study but acknowledges that global warming is real and man-made, said an increase in nighttime low temperatures makes much more sense than the rain-and-drought forecasts of the paper.

One of the larger changes in precipitation predicted is in the intensity of rain and snowfall.

That means, Tebaldi said, "when it rains, it rains more" even if it doesn't rain as often.

Tebaldi's assessment jibes with the National Climatic Data Center's tracking of extreme events in the United States, said David Easterling, chief of the center's scientific services.

Easterling's group has created a massive climate extreme index that measures the weather in America.

Last year, the United States experienced the second most extreme year in 95 years; the worst year was in 1998.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061020/ap_on_sc/warming_extremes

 

[Man-Thing]

I really hope global warming is true.

 

[WeaponZ2]

I really hope global warming is true.

You cold too?

 

[Man-Thing]

I saw the map, and according to it, I would nearly own some beach front property. I want to sell beach front property.

 

[blind_fury]

Maybe the president should fight global warming as much as he fights the terrorists.

The terrorist at their worst will kill thousands. Global warming? Five maybe six BILLION people.

 

[Man-Thing]

That's about as stupid as those meterologist last year who said "Katrina is mad".

 

[blind_fury]

Yeah because focusing on a threat to humanity instead of a threat to Americans is "stoopid".

 

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

That's hot.

 

[Mic]

Meh, **** it let it come.

 

[OverMyHead]

I just rented Al Gore’s video on global warming and had to comment.

Do I believe humanity can mess up our environment to the degree that we make our planet actually inhospitable to life? Yes, I do!

You see, like everyone on this forum, I have an opinion. But the world is so complicated today I can’t possibly know enough to develop an informed opinion on every issue impacting my life. So, I rely on faith. The question is whom do I believe? The scientist or the politician. The scientist examines and tests data to arrive at studied conclusions. The politician manipulates data to support their self serving conclusions. It’s the spin, I believe, that confuses people and prevents intelligent well thought out and executed solutions.

Certainly, Al Gore is a politician, not a scientist. Yet, I believe he is truly serious about protecting the environment. His, is not a politically profitable fight. He would have little hope of winning elections proposing changes that might negatively impact peoples lives. Sadly, he is nothing more than the messenger of doom.

Al Gore’s message is indeed frightening. I accept the legitimacy of the warnings proffered by the scientific community. The data they’ve collected is indeed overwhelming. The planet is certainly getting warmer. There’s no doubt that the ice caps are melting. The data firmly establishes that the atmospheric changes are unprecedented and not part of normal fluctuations. The danger is evident. Yet, there are still many that refuse to believe that we will soon have a day of reckoning.

Why? Why do people choose to accept the words of politicians and industrialists over scientists? I believe its because they fear change. Change can impact their lives taking away that with which they’re familiar. Change can damage industries, lose jobs and lower standards of living. It’s far easier to ignore warnings and continue blindly on assuring each other that danger doesn’t lurk ahead.

It’s so convenient to disbelieve warnings and do nothing. That appears to be what we’re best at, doing nothing especially if any action might cost us something or cause us to lose something. We can, without any knowledge of the facts, dispute anything we wish. We can find a thousand reasons not to accept the “experts” opinion. That doesn’t make us safe. Even inaction is an action when not moving prevents other things from happening or, as in the case of global warming, causes real events to continue unabated.

So, as Al Gore plainly put it--would you rather have money or the world? Who will you serve: Earth or Benjamin?

 

[Addendum]

Who will you serve: Earth or Benjamin?

I'll serve these

 

[Lackey]

So, as Al Gore plainly put it--would you rather have money or the world? Who will you serve: Earth or Benjamin?

I would ask Al Gore that as he's boarding his jet.

 

[WeaponZ2]

I live in Canada...its December 13..... *looks out the window and sees the snow melting in spring like conditions* Yeah...its real.

 

[Lackey]

I live in Canada...its December 13..... *looks out the window and sees the snow melting in spring like conditions* Yeah...its real.

so if the snow wasn't melting then you wouldn't believe it?